True Love
by wawwhite
Summary: They lost the battle, Marcus refuses to kill Luna, so they end up in a dungeon together. My prompt was “Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.” and I just couldn't stop with 1 Princess Bride quote, so there's 8.


Life was never what you expected. When Luna had fallen, her wand broken, before a group of dark wizards, she expected death. When the dark-cowled figures pushed an older, graduated Slytherin towards her, she expected a prolonged and painful death. When she had looked into the Marcus Flint's eyes, she had expected to find hatred and malicious gloating.

Life had a way of surprising people. Luna had not expected to see pity and fear. She had not expected him to sheath his wand and place a corner of his robe to her bleeding forehead. And she had certainly not expected to currently be alive, trapped in a foul and dripping dungeon with her unconscious savior.

Luna loved surprises, and Luna loved life, so she was thrilled in spite of her current conditions. After tend to Marcus's and her own wounds, she decided to explore the dungeon, which wasn't her first. When she heard Marcus shift, she hurried happily back to his side. Her eyes were adjusted to the darkness, so she could just barely see his bruised face looking around confused.

"Why did you save my life?" she asked.

Marcus started and then relaxed as he figured out whose the strange voice was. He groaned when he tried to sit up, and Luna put her arm around him. "Do you always begin conversations this way?" he snapped, clearly in pain.

"Only with people who save my life," Luna smiled in the darkness. "You'd better not get up; don't want to hurt yourself anymore." Her smile widened when she heard him groan with exasperation. Luna was content to let him rest awhile, but by no means was she about to drop the subject of her salvation. It wasn't everyday that an enemy changed coats and saved your life.

While Marcus rested, Luna got up and resumed her exploration of the dungeon. When she had made her away around the perimeter, Marcus finally spoke, "Find anything?"

"Not yet, and don't sound so melancholy. We'll find a way out of here."

Marcus grunted, "what makes you so sure?"

Luna just hummed as she walked around the room again, keeping her hands on the walls, feeling their dripping sides for cracks and weaknesses. Three cycles later, Marcus snarled, "Knock it off! You're making me dizzy, walking around like that."

"Sorry," Luna laughed as she sat down next to him again. Marcus half-heartedly shoved her away and then clutched his shoulder in pain for his efforts. "Let me see it," demanded Luna, "you should have told me that it hurt that bad." She gently felt his shoulder, and then commented, "It's not dislocated; I think it's just swollen."

Marcus griped, "What makes you the expert?"

"My father's was dislocated once," Luna said sadly, but didn't explain, and Marcus didn't ask. Silence descended once more in the darkness, Luna sat calmly, but Marcus fidgeted uncomfortably.

Finally, he could take it no more and burst, "Do you want to know why I didn't kill you?"

Luna sat up and leaned towards him, "Oh yes, please."

Marcus snorted derisively, "are you always this happy, this hopeful?"

"No," she said simply. "Sometimes I'm quite sad, but I prefer being happy."

"I don't you see how you do it; life is miserable."

Luna gasped, "Don't say that! I know things look bad, but you have to have hope. We're alive, after all."

Marcus huffed, "What's life? Life is pain. Anyone who says differently is selling something." Luna patted him on the shoulder, wishing she could give him some of her hope.

Marcus cleared his throat and began his story, "I never wanted to be a Death Eater like my father. I preferred Quidditch, you know, just wanted to play. Sure, I'm a Slytherin, I'm mean, nasty, willing to do anything to win." Here Luna protested, but he touched her arm and continued, "Don't try to deny it. I didn't know you much at school, but I wouldn't have hesitated to make your life miserable if I had the chance. Time passed, we got older, and I noticed you a bit when you started hanging out with Potty and his crew. Thought you were odd, but you just remind me a bit of my mum." He paused, thinking, then went on, "That's really not important; my father dragged me down to the battle, but I tried to stay out of the way. When we found you laying there, my father wanted to force me to prove myself." There he stopped, and Luna tried to fill in the blanks.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Yeah," he muttered, then said harshly, "Now we're trapped. I shouldn't have been so stupid. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Please, Marcus," she whispered, and he turned to her at the sound of his name. "No matter what happens, you saved me. Your conscience is clear."

He stiffened up and hissed, "Sure it is."

He was becoming insufferable; Luna asked, "What is it now? What else could you have possibly done?"

"I haven't done anything. But that's just the point."

"You mean you have regrets. We all have regrets, Marcus, that's life. We just have to live each day as best we can."

Marcus said coldly, "I didn't say that. I don't regret anything."

Luna was not convinced; she knew there was more, "Come now, Marcus, lies do not become us."

Marcus laughed, "You really want to know?"

"Of course, I do. Perhaps if you tell me, you won't feel bad anymore," Luna said consolingly.

"I love you."

"What?" Luna was sure she had misunderstood.

"It's not that difficult to understand," he snapped. "I didn't know you, but I noticed you. Over time, I fell in love with you. Then I moved away and though nothing would come of it. Here we are, me in love, and you not believing me."

Marcus became concerned when several moments passed, and the usually talkative girl remained silent. "Well, have I scared you to death?"

He could feel her moving, and she said, "Oh no, Marcus. I'm just thinking. I really don't know what to make of all this."

Marcus chuckled, "don't worry your pretty, little head. I just needed to get that off of my chest. I don't expect anything from you. We'll most likely be killed in the morning."

Luna finally spoke, thinking deeply, "I don't think so. I can't be sure if this is true love, mostly because it is all so new, and I don't know about my feelings for you. However, if you do love me, I feel much better." Luna found his hand and held it.

Bewildered, Marcus put his arm around her shoulders and said, "You're a strange girl. I don't think they'll let us go, but I'll stand by you... to the very end. Why should my feelings for you make you feel better?"

Luna leaned into him, "I think I could be falling for you. Don't you know? Even death cannot stop true love. It can only delay it for awhile." Luna blushed when he gently kissed her on the top of her head. They lay next to each other throughout the long night. Marcus held her, and they kept each other warm.

They woke when someone threw food into their cell. They knew it was morning. Marcus was feeling better, and Luna was feeling comforted by having a strong man by her side. She was confused by her feelings toward him. Eventually, she realized it didn't matter what she did, since he was most likely right about their fate, so she might as well love him.

When they finished eating, Luna told him how she felt, and for once the gruff wizard didn't laugh at her. He just quietly held her close; they could hear a group of large footsteps coming down the hall.

"Marcus," Luna whispered, shuddering, "Stay with me, no matter what."

"As you wish," he said softly. Together they faced the door.

The door slammed open, and they were blinded by the light. Eventually, they made out the forms of several dark wizards who stood there, sneering at them. "Ready to meet the Dark Lord?" one hissed.

"Ready to die?" snarled another. They grabbed the two and dragged them down the hall. Marcus and Luna tried to hold on to each other. The men stopped them outside a room, where screams of laughter could be heard.

"Hold them here," commanded the first masked man, "I will see if the Dark Lord is ready for the next victims.

Luna began to shudder, and Marcus put his arm around her. "It's going to be alright, Luna. Where's that brave girl?"

"I don't know, Marcus. I'm so frightened. I don't see a way out of this."

Marcus smiled and said confidently, "Don't worry. This is true love. You think this happens every day?"

Luna looked up at him and felt better, "I think I can be brave if you're with me."

They could see the man walking back to them, and Marcus said one last word, "No matter what happens, hear this now: I will always come for you."

Bravely, Marcus and Luna walked to meet their fate.


End file.
